Randolph w



(No Model.)

B. W. STILWELL.

comm? FASTENING.

No. 413,977. Patented Oct. 29, 1889.

N wzrzns. mowumn m. Washmglun. o c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RANDOLPH XV. STILWELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CORSET-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 413,977, dated October29, 1889.

Application filed February 6, 1889. Serial No. 298,816. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, RANDOLPH \V. STIL- WELL, of the city and county ofNew York, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Corset-Fastenings, of which the following is aspecification.

The improvement may apply to corsets of all materials and styles, havinga sufficientlyelastic steel or other yielding spring extending up anddown the front line of junction. There may be any ordinary or suitableprovisions at the back or at any other part for varying the size of thecorset.

It has long been practiced to employ a fiat steel on each side of thefront opening with headed studs on the steel on one side, andpeculiarly-formed apertures or eyes riveted or otherwise secured to theopposite steel, which may be engaged over such studs. In engaging thesetogether the corsets are compressed about the waist, and the heads ofthe studs are inserted through a large part of each eye and moved into asmaller part or neck of the eye, which remains engaged with the stud. Todisengage the corsets, they must be pressed together to such extent asto bring all the studs either simultaneously or successively each intothe large part of its eye. There is a difficulty in effecting this inmany cases.

I have discovered that by substituting for the studs simple hooks, whichproject forward to the proper extent, in the the same manner as theordinary studs, and then bend upward, I can engage the parts together inthe same way as has heretofore been practiced, and they will remainengaged in the same manner as heretofore, and the fastening is in allrespects equivalent so long as the corset is worn; and when it isdesired to remove the corset it may be effected by simply deflectingoutward the lower end of the steel carrying the eyes. Such deflectingwill disengage the lowermost eye from its hook, and then, the bendingbeing made sufficiently short at the point of engagement with the next,the next eye is disengaged, and so on upward, so that the entire seriesis disengaged by a practi-- cally instantaneous movement. To avoid apossibility that the lower eye may be disengaged by accident, I preferto make the lowermost in the ordinary manner, with a full head on thestud. This will require that the lower edge of the corset be compressedto release the lowermost eye. After this all the others may be removedby simply bending outward the steel, and continuing the bend upward asthe fastenings become successively detached.

Theaccompanying drawings form a part of this specification, andrepresent What I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a front view of the steels joining the front edges of thecorsets. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Both these figures show thefastenings engaged. Fig. 3 represents the fastenings in the act of beingdis engaged, the lowermost being completely disengaged and the steeldeflected to the extent required to liberate the 11ext'fastening,whichis in the act of being detached. Fig. 4 is a vertical section throughone of the fastenings engaged. Fig. 5 is a corresponding section throughone of the fastenings in the act of being disengaged, and Fig. 6 isacorresponding section showing the fastener at a later stage. Fig. '7shows a portion of a modification. It is an elevation showing a hookbent downward instead of upward. Such is opened by commencing at thetop.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures where they occur.

A and B are two flat steels extending up and down on opposite sides ofthe front opening of the corset. On the steel A are riveted small metalpieces A each containing an eye or hole of the form ordinarily used incorsetfastenings. I will mark the large part of the hole a and the smallpart a. Opposite the lowermost eye is set an ordinary stud b,haV- ingaround head,which is engaged in the eye and disengaged therefrom in theordinary manner. Opposite each of the other eyes in the steel B is set ahook M m, the body M of which extends directly forward from the frontface of the steel B, and is of athickness suffi cient to loosely fillthe part'a' of the eye in the same manner as the corresponding part ofthe ordinary stud b fills such part of the eye; but instead of theordinary head the front end of each hook M is simply turned upward, asindicated by m.

In fastening the corset the ordinary stud b at the bottom and theseveral hooks M, with their turned-up ends m, are engaged in the severaleyes a a, in the same manner as the ordinary fastenings are engaged. Inthe use of the corset all these fastenings remain engaged with theirrespective eyes in the same manner as the ordinary studs.

When it is desired to open the corset, the wearer contracts the lowerpart and disengages the lowermost fastening b from its eye a a in theordinary manner. Then by simply springing the lower end of the steelAoutward its elasticity allows it to assume a sharp curve. Thiscnrvechanges the position of the lowermost piece A and of the eyetherein, so as to disengage it from the lowermost hook M m. Thisdisengagement allows the lower end of the steel A to be moved stillfarther out, producing a sharp curvatu re of the steel A at the nextfastening above, with the effect to disengage that in a similar'manner,and thus the disengagement proceeds rapidly up the entire front of thecorset, and the parts are instantly and completely sepa rated. Theconvenience of this mode of detaching will be readily appreciated.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle orsacrificing the advantages of the invention. The use of the ordinarystud b for the lowermost eye may not be necessary in all cases. A hook Mm nary or extraordinary movement of the wearer. The number of. the eyesand of the corresponding fastenings may be increased or diminished. Ican reverse the position of these parts by turning the points m of thehooksM downward instead of upward. In such case the opening movementmust be commenced at the top, and will progress downward.

I attach importance to the fact that my hooks 011. do not require thegarment to be compressed, but only the deflection of the steel outwardto effect their disengagement. This is due to the fact that the hooksextend simply outward and downward or upward. They hold reliably so longas the corset-steels are parallel, but are disengaged by a simpledeflection of one steel outward relatively to the other.

I claim as my invention In a corset-fastening, aseries of stationarycurved hooks M, projecting forward with the points m extending parallelto the steels, in combination with eyes a a, carried on the other partor steel A, adapted to be readily detached by the bending of the steels,as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at New York city, this5th day of February, 1889, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RANDOLPH W. STILVVELL.

Witnesses:

CHARLES R. SEARLE, II. A. J OHNSTQNE.

